


The Begetter and Begotten

by stelladora



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-25
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:42:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1519553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stelladora/pseuds/stelladora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set after the locked-door murder arc of the manga (chapters 38-49). Ciel is shaken up by Sebastian's "death," despite knowing it was fake.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Begetter and Begotten

“It’s been a riotous two days, has it not?” Sebastian said, unlacing Ciel’s shoes in the boy’s dressing room.

“Yes. I’m glad it’s over,” Ciel responded languidly, slouching in the chair as Sebastian went about the usual ministrations. All the guests had gone, and after some initial shock, the other servants had accepted the fact that Sebastian was miraculously alright. “Now I can sleep in my own bed again,” Ciel said. His wrist had hurt all day from where it had been chained to Mr. Wordsmith’s when they shared a bed.

“Yes,” Sebastian said, dexterously removing Ciel’s clothing and setting it aside to be laundered. “And, by the way, you’re welcome.”

“For what?” Ciel asked insolently, scowling up at Sebastian from the armchair. “Doing as you were told?”

Sebastian’s face, as always, remained blank and unreadable. “For preventing your murder.”

Ciel rolled his eyes, a human expression Sebastian had grown accustomed to, and had even picked up himself. “Well you didn’t need to be so dramatic about the whole thing. Honestly, I think you scared Wordsmith half to death when you chased him out. And there was an awful lot of blood you spilled on the floor.”

“Pardon me, young master. I’ve cleaned it up already. I only wanted to do the job thoroughly,” Sebastian said as he pulled the nightgown over Ciel’s head. The both of them had a flair for the dramatic, but Sebastian had far fewer chances to show off than his master did.

“I didn’t even know you had blood,” Ciel muttered as he stood and led the way to his bedroom. Sebastian followed with the candles obediently.

“Of course I have blood. I wear a human form, and my body functions as any human’s. But better,” Sebastian said, his customary smirk on his face as he gently untied his master’s eye patch. Ciel’s marked eye shone in the candlelight, a sight Sebastian had always found oddly soothing. “You put on quite the show when everyone found me lying there,” Sebastian said, his grin spreading.

“Seems we both enjoy playing roles,” Ciel said flatly, rejecting the insinuation in the butler’s tone.

Sebastian was, by now, used to his master’s sullenness, and didn’t take it personally. In fact, he’d learned that the majority of the time, the boy used his anger to suppress any other emotions he felt. _He must consider that safer than opening up to people_ , Sebastian thought. _He is a very smart boy._

Ciel climbed under the covers of his bed, surreptitiously seeking out his favorite pillow before lying down. Sebastian noticed, of course, and smirked down at him. “No offer to sing me a lullaby tonight?” the boy asked scathingly, blinking with tiredness. It had been a hectic two days, after all, and he was tired.

“You didn’t seem very keen on the idea the other night,” Sebastian reminded him. He’d only made the offer to embarrass the young master in front of the guest whose bed he’d shared, after all.

“No, no, I’d love to hear you sing. I’m sure you have a wonderful voice,” Ciel replied sarcastically, looking up at Sebastian as he lay in bed.

Always one to accept a challenge, Sebastian stood up straight. “Very well then.” He’d had time to master many skills, and singing had been one of the first. “What shall I sing for you?”

Ciel raised an eyebrow, as if surprised that Sebastian was actually going to do it. “I don’t care. Whatever you want,” he said sullenly, undeniably curious as to how Sebastian’s singing voice would sound.

After a moment of thought, Sebastian cleared his throat and began. “ _Tantum ergo Sacramentum veneremur cernui, et antiquum documentum novo cedat ritui._ ” Ciel’s Latin was, unfortunately, not good enough to understand everything Sebastian was singing, but he gathered that it was some sort of hymn. A rather odd choice, he thought. Despite his reluctance to admit it, Sebastian’s voice was stunning. It was a solid baritone, classically trained, with a very warm tone. Ciel carefully kept his expression blank as he listened to the Gregorian chant Sebastian was softly singing to him.

“ _Genitori, Genitoque laus et juilatio, salus, honor, virtus quoque sit et benedictio, procedenti ab utroque compar sit laudation. Amen,_ ” Sebastian finished, his voice fading out and leaving behind a stifling silence. “Well, young master?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Despite the unconventional choice in lullaby, Ciel did find himself undeniably tired. “Well, I didn’t hire you to sing to me,” he said languidly, blinking to stay awake.

“Of course, young master” Sebastian said simply. He hadn’t expected any praise from the young master. He rarely got anything along those lines. “Goodnight.”

“Sebastian.”

The voice arrested him, and he turned back to his master, who was blearily looking up at him through heavy eyelids. “Yes?”

“Don’t die again.”

Sebastian furrowed his brow in mild surprise. “You knew that was a ruse, my lord,” he pointed out. “Despite your convincing histrionics, you knew I was not in danger.”

“Shut up,” came the response. When tired, the young master’s voice grew even more childlike. It was one of Sebastian’s favorite things to point out. “Do not die again. You are to be by my side always,” Ciel insisted sleepily.

_You can’t die. Not like them. You have to stay now, you’re all I have._

“I give you my word, my lord,” Sebastian said, putting his left hand over his perfunctory heart.

“Good. Stay,” Ciel mumbled as he curled up in bed.

“I have promised I will, my lord,” Sebastian reminded him, smirking at how useless the master was when tired.

“No. I mean now. Stay with me.” The boy’s voice was a petulant murmur, but Sebastian still blinked in surprise at the words.

“You want me to sleep here?” Sebastian asked incredulously. He could think of a thousand reasons against it. There was work to be done: breakfast prepared, inventory to count, debts to pay…not to mention it was a scandalous breech of propriety.

“Don’t make me order you,” Ciel said. He carefully avoided eye contact with Sebastian; even as tired as he was, he understood how ridiculous the proposition was.

“Very well, young master. Shall I go and change my—”

“Just take them off,” Ciel said, turning over and getting more comfortable.

Sebastian raised an eyebrow, but Ciel had turned away from him and didn’t see it. Nevertheless, Sebastian did as he was told and removed his clothes, which were prone to wrinkles and not exceedingly comfortable to sleep in anyway. In his underclothes, Sebastian made his way to the vacant side of the bed and carefully crawled under the blankets. He lay on his back quietly, his hands folded over his chest. Minutes passed with Ciel breathing regularly beside him, neither of them saying anything.

“Can you die?” Ciel asked in an astonishingly small voice. Sebastian had thought the boy was asleep by now. Turning his head, he looked at his young master, whose guarded expression had slipped the tiniest bit to show something Sebastian hadn’t seen on that face since the day they’d met: vulnerability.

“Yes, I can. There are certain weapons that can kill me. Death scythes, for example,” Sebastian reported.

“You’re not allowed to die,” Ciel insisted petulantly.

_You can’t. You’re all I have now. As pitiful as it is, you’re all I have._

“I doubt I will, young master.” Relaxing a bit and ignoring the impropriety, Sebastian turned onto his side to face the boy. “Go to sleep now.”

 

“Goodnight, mummy,” Ciel said as he nestled close to his mother. It was his birthday, the one night of the year when he was allowed to sleep in his parents’ bed as a treat.

“Goodnight, darling. Sweet dreams,” Lady Phantomhive said as she kissed her son on the forehead.

“Rachel,” came his father’s voice. “Get up. Something’s wrong.”

“I’ll be right back, darling. Stay here,” his mother said as she got out of bed. Ciel’s hands grasped for her, but she moved out of reach.

It was hot. His parents weren’t back yet. Was that his mother screaming?

_Oh no. I have to find them. I have to save them. They can’t die. They can’t leave me all alone. I need them. Please, someone, anyone, they can’t die, they have to stay, they’re all I have—_

 

Sebastian gently touched his fingers to Ciel’s temple. The boy’s nightmare subsided, and his whimpering ceased. Calm now, and still asleep, Ciel nestled closer to Sebastian, instinctively moving towards the source of warmth and comfort.

As Ciel put his arms around him, Sebastian lay completely still, shocked at the breach of propriety that his master displayed, even if he was asleep.

“Stay,” the boy mumbled in his sleep, his subconscious playing out some scenario. It wasn’t a nightmare, Sebastian could tell that much, so he took no action other than to relax and drape one arm around the young master’s body protectively.

_Yes, young master,_ Sebastian thought. _Until the very end._

**Author's Note:**

> Sebastian's lullaby is the hymn "Tantum Ergo." The Wikipedia page has a recording and English translation.


End file.
